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2. Erythroxylum moonii Hochr. in Bull. Inst. Bot. Buit. 22 : 54. 1905. (Fig. 190).
ERYTHROXYLACEAE
Erythroxylon acuminatum Walp.—Erythroxylon iucidum Moon—Sethia acuminata Arn.
Sinh. Bata-kirilla; Tarn. Chiruchemannati, Chiruchenatti.
A much branched, twiggy, glabrous shrub, with a pale bark; leaves simple, alternate
with stipules, 3.7—7.5 cm long., 1.5—2.5 cm broad, linear—lanceolate to oval—lanceolate,
acute or rounded at base, tapering, acuminate with obtuse apdx, glabrous and shining on both
surfaces, lateral veins horizontal and faint; petioles 5 mm long, stipules caducous; flowers
regular, bisexual, solitary, axillary, greenish yellow or white, about 9 mm across, pedicels longer
than petioles; sepals 5, 1—1.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute, slightly connate at base; petals 5,
distinct, imbricate, 3.5 mm long, spreading, oblong, obtuse with a large double, erect scale on
the inner surface; stamens 10, filaments 2.5 mm long, connate into a tube; ovary superior,
oblong, 1.4 mm long, 3-Iocular with one ovule in each loculus, styles 3, connate at base; fruit a
scarlet drupe, 1.2—13 cm long, pointed, faintly grooved and shining with persistent calyx
and stamens.
Flowers from March to May.
Illustration. Herb. Peradeniya., drawing.
Distribution. Occurs in south India and Ceylon and perhaps in Borneo. It is rather
common in the low-country in Ceylon. Ratnapura, Kuruwita Korale, Singha Raja Forest,
Uma Oya, Nilgai a, Dambulla, Matara (Dick well a), etc.
Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 222; Thwaites CP. 3488. Central Prov., Peradeniya, Bot. Gard.
Jayaweera 1173, Sept. 1955; Jayaweera 2597, June 1957. Western Prov., Gampaha, Bot. Gard.
Jayaweera 2223, Nov. 1955.
Uses. The leaves given in various forms (the commonest being a bolus made by mixing
the powdered dry leaves with rice flour and honey) are very effective anthelmintic for round
worms.. Externally the bruised leaves in the form of a poultice hastens suppuration of boils and
abscesses.
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